The short answer for Forza Horizon 5 difficulty settings: anti-lock braking on, traction control off, stability control off, shifting on manual, driving line on braking only, damage on cosmetic, rewind on. Then set Drivatar difficulty to the level where you win about half your races, and raise it when that gets easy.
That list is mine. The game does not tell you what is best, it shows you a credit bonus and lets you choose.
The option names on this page come from the game's own Difficulty menu, from the two screenshots below. The rest comes from Forza Support and from the developers' own words, checked on 8 October 2026. Where I could not verify something, I leave it out and say so.
Where the difficulty settings are
Open the pause menu, go to Settings, and Difficulty is the first tab.
You can also reach difficulty and the gameplay assists from the Accessibility menu at the start of the game. That is on the Forza Support accessibility page.
These are the ten lines in the menu.
| Line | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Drivatar difficulty | How fast the AI cars are |
| Driving assists preset | A shortcut that sets the lines below it together |
| Braking | Anti-lock on or off |
| Steering | How much help you get with the steering |
| Traction control | On or off |
| Stability control | On or off |
| Shifting | Automatic, manual, or manual with clutch |
| Driving line | The coloured line on the road |
| Damage and tyre wear | Whether hits and wear affect the car |
| Rewind | On or off |
The game's own description of the first line is short: it adjusts the skill of your game-controlled opponents.
Drivatar difficulty
Drivatars are the AI cars. This line decides how fast they are. It changes nothing about how your own car drives.
I can confirm four level names from the game and from official sources: Tourist at the bottom, Average, Highly Skilled, and Unbeatable at the top. There are more steps between them. I have not listed those because I could not read the full list at a source I trust.
My rule is simple. If you win by a distance, you learn nothing. If you finish last, you learn nothing either. You learn when the car in front is just out of reach.
So:
- You win every race without a fight: one step up.
- You never see the leader after lap one: one step down.
- You win some and lose some: leave it.
Go one step at a time. Two steps at once and you do not know whether the cars got faster or you had a bad race.
Unbeatable has its own rewards. The Hall of Fame accolades include winning a road race, a dirt race and a cross country event with Drivatar difficulty set to Unbeatable, and winning ten of each.
Image: Playground Games, Steam
What Tourist does
Tourist was new in Forza Horizon 5. Forza Support describes it as a Drivatar option that makes sure everyone has a fun time whatever their skill.
The developers explained how it works before launch. Creative director Mike Brown told PCGamesN that if you crash or miss a checkpoint, the AI slows right down, waits for you, and matches your pace again once you are back in the pack.
So it is not a slow version of a normal race. It is a race that waits for you.
Use it without shame if you are new, if you play with a child, or if you only want to see the map. It will not teach you to race, and it is not meant to.
Assists: what I would set
This is the second screenshot, with almost everything off.
And this is what I would set. All of it is my view as a driver.
| Line | What I would set | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Driving assists preset | Custom | It reads Custom once you set the lines yourself |
| Braking | Anti-lock on | You brake on gravel, wet tarmac and sand in the same race |
| Steering | Standard | Simulation is there to try, mostly on a wheel |
| Traction control | Off | You learn to feed the throttle, and the bonus goes up |
| Stability control | Off | It steps in when the car slides, and sliding is half this game |
| Shifting | Manual | You choose the gear for the corner |
| Driving line | Braking only | It shows the braking zone and leaves the rest to you |
| Damage and tyre wear | Cosmetic | The car looks hit and drives the same |
| Rewind | On | One mistake does not cost a ten minute race |
A few of those need a reason.
Anti-lock on. Formula 3 and Formula 2 cars have no anti-lock. GT3 cars do. I raced both, and both are real driving. In Horizon you go from tarmac to dirt to water in one lap, and the grip under braking changes every few seconds. I would keep the help and spend the effort somewhere else.
Traction control off. Traction control cuts power when the driven wheels spin. With it off, your right foot does that job. On a pad the trigger has enough travel to do it. Start with a car that is not too powerful.
Stability control off. Stability control acts when the car starts to rotate more than the steering asks. That is a slide. In a game with dirt racing and drift zones, an assist that fights the slide is fighting the game. In both of my screenshots it is off.
Manual shifting. The automatic picks a gear for the speed you are doing. You want the gear for the corner exit. Manual gives you that, and engine braking into the corner as well. Manual with clutch is the third option. It adds a clutch input to every shift. I would only use it with pedals. The steps to change it are on my how to switch to manual page.
Steering. The menu has Standard and Simulation, plus easier options below them. I cannot give you a tested verdict on how Simulation feels on a pad in this game, so I do not. Try it on a wheel first. My wheel settings and controller settings pages cover the input side.
Image: Playground Games, Steam
Driving line, damage and rewind
Driving line. Can I Play That's menu deep dive lists three choices: off, always on, or braking only. Braking only is where I would stay while you learn the roads. The full line makes you look at the paint a few metres ahead of the car. A driver looks at the exit of the corner. Once you know a route, switch it off and you will see more.
Damage and tyre wear. The choice is between damage that is only visual and damage that changes how the car drives. My screenshots show two of the values, None and Cosmetic. I would use Cosmetic. Horizon races are full of contact you did not ask for, and a bent car for three laps teaches you nothing. If you want the damage gone completely, see how to turn off damage.
One detail: the menu says "tire" or "tyre" depending on the language you set. Same line.
Rewind. Leave it on while you learn. Use it as a tool: rewind, take the same corner again, and see what you changed. Then, when you want the pressure back, switch it off. There is an accolade for winning five races with rewind set to off, and one for winning five with shifting set to manual with clutch.
Image: Playground Games, Steam
How the credit bonus works
On the right of the Difficulty menu there is a figure called Difficulty Bonus CR. It is a percentage added to the credits you earn.
The rule is simple. Harder Drivatars and fewer assists make it bigger.
I can give you one verified number. In my first screenshot the bonus reads +25% with this combination:
- Drivatar difficulty: Average
- Braking: Anti-lock on
- Steering: Standard
- Traction control: On
- Stability control: Off
- Shifting: Automatic
- Driving line: Braking only
- Damage and tyre wear: Cosmetic
- Rewind: On
You will find tables around the web with a percentage for every line. I could not confirm them, so I do not repeat them. You do not need them anyway. Change a line and the figure on the right updates. The menu is the table.
One warning. Do not chase the bonus with settings you cannot drive. A bigger percentage of a fifth place is worth less than a smaller percentage of a win. For the rest of the money side, see how to make money in Forza Horizon 5.
Settings outside the Difficulty tab
Three more options change how hard the game is. All three are on the Forza Support accessibility page.
Offline game speed. You can slow the game down when you play offline. Before launch the developers said it goes as low as 40%, in steps of 1%, and that the physics slow down with it while the menus stay at full speed.
Horizon Stories. There is an option to progress through Horizon Stories without completing the challenges.
Hot Wheels stunt steering assist. If you own the Hot Wheels expansion, this one is in Settings, then Difficulty. Forza Support notes you can only toggle it outside a race event in Hot Wheels Park.
How to move up
The order is mine.
- Finish races first. Tourist or a low Drivatar level, assists on.
- Driving line from full to braking only.
- Shifting to manual.
- Traction control off.
- Stability control off.
- Drivatars up, one step at a time.
- Driving line off on the routes you know.
One change, then a few races. If you change four things and start losing, you do not know which one cost you.
And when the assists are off and the car still does not do what you want, the next step is the car, not the menu. That is on my how to tune cars in Forza Horizon 5 page.
Image: Playground Games, Steam
FAQ
What are the best difficulty settings for Forza Horizon 5?
My pick: anti-lock on, steering on Standard, traction control off, stability control off, manual shifting, driving line on braking only, damage on cosmetic, rewind on. Set Drivatar difficulty to the level where you win about half your races.
How do I change the difficulty in Forza Horizon 5?
Pause, open Settings, and choose the Difficulty tab. You can also reach difficulty and assists from the Accessibility menu at the start of the game.
What is the hardest Drivatar difficulty?
Unbeatable. The Hall of Fame accolades have a set of rewards for winning races with Drivatar difficulty set to Unbeatable.
What is Tourist difficulty in Forza Horizon 5?
The easiest Drivatar setting. The developers said the AI slows down and waits for you if you crash or miss a checkpoint, then matches your pace.
Do you get more credits on higher difficulty?
Yes. The Difficulty menu shows a Difficulty Bonus CR percentage. Harder Drivatars and fewer assists raise it.
How much is the difficulty bonus?
It depends on your combination, and the menu shows it live. One example from my own screenshot: +25% with Average Drivatars, anti-lock on, traction control on, stability control off, automatic shifting, braking line, cosmetic damage and rewind on.
Should I turn off traction control in Forza Horizon 5?
I would. You control wheelspin with the throttle, and the bonus goes up. Keep it on while you are still learning to finish races.
Should I use manual or automatic?
Manual, once you can finish races. You pick the gear for the corner exit. Manual with clutch adds a clutch input and makes most sense with pedals.
Can I slow the game down?
Yes, offline. Forza Support lists an offline game speed option, and the developers said before launch that it goes down to 40% in steps of 1%.